Fast start: Colts receiver Reggie Wayne (left) gets away from Ravens defenders David Pittman (center) and Ed Reed and runs for the end zone and the Colts' first TD. / Sam Riche / The Star

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BALTIMORE -- On a soggy Sunday night when the Indianapolis Colts made short work of the Baltimore Ravens, Joseph Addai's smallest number on the statistics sheet meant the most.

In a little more than a quarter, the shifty running back scored three touchdowns -- two on rushes and another on a reception -- as the Colts, who scored a 44-20 blowout win at M&T Stadium, built a stunning 30-0 lead.

"We came out fast," said the second-year back. "You expect it but you don't expect it. It's the Ravens, they have got a great defense. But at the same time, they're not playing for anything.

"If we could keep playing hard, they would eventually stop playing. That's what they did."

Addai has scored more only once before, four touchdowns against Philadelphia last year.

His 1-yard run made it 14-0 in the first quarter. About five minutes later, he took advantage of a blown coverage to practically walk into the end zone on a 19-yard reception. His third score came on an 11-yard run with 11:57 remaining in the second quarter. The Colts led 30-0.

Addai exited early in the third quarter. By the fourth, he was thinking about how many he could have scored if he stayed in.

"I started thinking about that," he said. "I was feeling a little bit selfish. I wanted to get more touchdowns, but three is good."

Addai had more receiving yards than rushing. His three catches were for 49 yards. His 13 rushes gave him 32 yards against the NFL's No. 3 rush defense.

Gonzo scores

Rookie Anthony Gonzalez broke open for a 57-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter, his first NFL score, then added his second on a third-quarter deep ball of 40 yards.

"After last week, I needed to get in there," Gonzalez said, referring to what would have been his first score had he not been flagged for offensive pass interference in the Colts' win over the Jaguars.

"It was nice to get in, especially in such a dominant game. It was exciting for me."

On the early touchdown, the Colts' first-round draft pick sped by cornerback David Pittman to make it 37-7. On the second, Gonzalez beat Corey Ivey to make it 44-7.

And more firsts

Rookie defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock and rookie defensive end Jeff Charleston tackled the Ravens' Kyle Boller for the first NFL sacks of their young careers.

But there was more. Reserve defensive tackle Dan Klecko got Boller for his first sack since joining the Colts last season. He had two sacks in three seasons with New England through 2005. Midway through the fourth quarter, reserve defensive tackle Darrell Reid celebrated the first sack of his three-year career.

It's a block!

Colts rookie defensive back Michael Coe took advantage of a missed blocking assignment on the right side, sped in and dove to block Sam Koch's first-quarter punt. The ball deflected out of the end zone for a safety with 1:57 remaining to put the Colts up 23-0.

It's the first time the Colts have blocked a punt since Dec. 11, 2000, when Paul Shields stuffed one against Buffalo at the RCA Dome.

Unhappy returns

After contributing two points, the Colts special teams made a familiar regression and gave seven back. The Colts went ahead 30-0, but Ravens returner Yamon Figurs took the ensuing kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown. It's the fourth time the Colts have allowed a return touchdown this season, two on kickoffs and two on punts.

The Colts gave up four return touchdowns last season, including Devin Hester's 92-yarder to begin Super Bowl XLI. Three of the four allowed in 2006 were on kickoffs.

Manning moving on up

Peyton Manning's four touchdown passes pushed him two past Hall of Famer John Elway's 300 for fourth in NFL history.

His early exit prevented him from moving up the completion list. At 3,404, he's six completions shy of passing Hall of Famer Joe Montana for eighth on the career list.

The Colts' win nudged Manning past Warren Moon into eighth all-time as a starter with 103. He's four shy of Pittsburgh Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw.

Injury report

Defensive end Robert Mathis left with a knee injury during the first half but returned. Safety Antoine Bethea left with a sprained knee during the first half and did not return, nor did back-up running back Kenton Keith. Colts coach Tony Dungy said he had no further information on Bethea.

"Kenton has had a sprained thumb and he re-did it and they wouldn't let him go back in," Dungy said.